Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nothing at all.
A/N: Ok I'm sick of excuses so basically I'm sorry that this took so freaking long.
UNBETAD! And since my lovely beta has had prior engagements to deal with, such as a new university (Go her!), I'm going to need a new beta. I wish that she could keep with me, but just like writing you need to have time, school gives you none of that. So if you'd be interested in betaing please let me know!
Chapter 10: Me & My Uncle
Sirius trudged up the stairs, dragging his Auror robes behind him. Training was one of the hardest things he had ever done and it wasn't over for the next six weeks! He saw James every day, of course, but as they only got to venture home on the weekend, he hadn't seen much of Remus. Poor Remus, he thought, digging through his pockets trying to find his keys. The were hadn't been able to find a decent job for more than a few weeks at most. No one wanted to employ a "dangerous creature", which was racist and ridiculous. Remus wasn't any more dangerous than any other magical creature.
He managed to get the door to the flat open, still slumped over pathetically. He dropped the Auror robe on the floor before straightening. It smelt like coffee. Remus hated coffee. So why was there coffee brewing in the flat when he wasn't here?
Sirius peered through each tiny doorway until he reached the kitchen. When he saw made him stare in shock. Remus was backed into the countertop with another man wrapped around him! Sirius opened his mouth to yell obscenities at the two, but Remus raising his head stopped him short.
Remus looked a mess and it was obvious he had been crying. It took only a moment to realize that the other man was crying as well and that Remus was only hugging him. Which made Sirius feel a little better. But it still didn't answer the question of who it was.
The other man drawing away from Remus made him realize two things. One was that the "other man" was his baby brother and two, something was very wrong.
"What's going on?"
Regulus whipped around but didn't disentangle himself from Remus. It was hard to remember that Regulus was only seventeen when he acted so tough. But with tear tracks down his cheeks and tousled hair he looked much younger.
"Sirius…" Regulus started before staring at his shoes. Sirius got the shock of his life when, after a few seconds of silence, Regulus flung himself into his brother's arms.
"What's wrong?"
"Sirius, its Uncle Alphard." Sirius felt his blood freeze.
"What about him?"
"He…he died yesterday afternoon." Sirius shook his head, it wasn't possible, he had seen Alphard yesterday morning. The man had looked just fine. He had come by the training field to see how Sirius was getting on. He couldn't be gone.
"How?"
"I don't know. The healers said something about it being muggle."
"Muggle? How could a pureblood wizard get a muggle ailment?"
"I said I don't know!"
"Sirius, stop it. You're not helping anybody."
"What's your problem, Remus? All I want to know is what happened to my uncle."
"He was my uncle, too!" Regulus cried, glaring up at his older brother, but not moving from his spot in the warm arms.
Sirius sighed, "I know, Reggie. It's just…I saw him yesterday and I don't understand…"
"It happens, Pads. You can't stop something like that." Remus came over to the brothers and rested his head on Sirius's shoulder. The three stood in a pensive silence, all remembering their favorite memories of Alphard Black. The two Blacks curled into the shaggy haired werewolf and were closer than they had been for the last seven years.
/page break/
The funeral was very grand. It came as something of a surprise, given how most of the family hadn't liked Alphard much. Then again, thought Sirius as he watched his uncle being lowered into the ground, it would be deemed inappropriate to seem anything but concerned. Mustn't let the public think there was something wrong in the House of Black.
Sirius also realized that his being there was something of a miracle. Andromeda was there as well, standing between her sisters. He wondered how she had even found out, but judging by the way Narcissa held her hand it was quite possible that Lady Malfoy had told her.
A small hand fitted into his on both sides. Regulus on one side…and Remus on the other. Sirius knew his mother was going to blow a gasket when she got a hold of him, but he didn't care. He needed Remus like he needed air. He didn't care what anyone said.
/page break/
Sirius was startled into action as the bottle of Firewhiskey he was drinking was savagely ripped from him.
"What is your problem?" He shouted at Remus.
"What's my problem? You want to know what my problem is?"
"Yeah, that would be nice."
"My problem is that you've turned into a slobbering, drunken mess and I'm sick of it!"
Sirius stared at Remus like he was seeing the werewolf for the first time. It was very easy to forget that the mild bookworm was actually a furry monster once a month and, therefore, had a rather destructive temper. He took a glance around himself and noticed the empty bottles, newspapers, and general chaos of the room.
"Moony…"
"I know you're lonely, Sirius and upset, but you've no right to behave like this. I'm so tired of it." Remus did look quite exhausted. It probably didn't help that the full moon was so close.
"I don't know what happened, Remmie. One moment I was fine and then…"
Remus sighed and sank down next to his lover, "It's called depression, Sirius. And its understandable since you just lost Alphard, but…"
"Shut up."
"Excuse me?" Remus looked at Sirius in shock. Sirius was too busy glaring at the floor to notice.
"I said shut up. You don't know what its like to lose someone. I don't want your pity."
"I'm not pitying you, Sirius. I want to help." Remus kept talking, but Sirius couldn't see past the red, drunken, haze that was building in his mind. Remus had no idea what he was talking about. He had two parents who loved him and a few other family members that he could go to for help. Sirius had no one. Alphard was all that he had. Even Regulus didn't give a damn about what happened to him.
Sirius, its okay to be sad, but drinking is not healthy. Please talk to me; I want to-" Remus was cut off sharply as he fell to the floor. Sirius looked around, startled, before realizing that he was the reason for Remus's fall. Sirius felt like an alien in his own body as he matched the handprint on Remus's face to the hand he still held aloft.
Then it dawned on Sirius, as Remus struggled to stand, he had physically struck the man he loved. He had hit Remus. Badly too, it seemed, for Remus was wobbling dangerously.
"Fuck. Remmie, I didn't…I'm so sorry…" Sirius stammered as the haze faded away and Remus backed away from his advances.
"Stay away from me." Remus trembled and moved toward the floo, looking like a beaten puppy.
"Remmie." Sirius whispered as Remus flooed away. What had he done?
/page break/
Three weeks, two black eyes, and a broken nose later Remus came back. He entered the flat silently and tried to creep to their bedroom without Sirius noticing. He managed to get down the thin hall and into their tiny room before Sirius came up behind him.
"Hey."
Remus shot straight up and gave him a wide-eyed look. Sirius looked down, ashamed of himself, he had sworn that Remus would never be afraid of him, but he had failed yet again.
"Hello."
"Um, I'm so sorry, Remus. I don't what's wrong with me. I don't…I…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry."
Remus sighed and held a hand up, effectively cutting off the stammered apologies, "It's okay, Padfoot. I've had worse."
Sirius felt his jaw drop, "What!? No! It's not okay. I don't want you to be afraid of me!"
"Just leave it, Sirius. I've had enough of fighting."
"Oh," Sirius mumbled, "So you're leaving me then?"
Remus looked surprised at the kicked puppy that had become his lover, "No, Siri. Not that you don't deserve it, but I'm staying. Just know that if you ever hit me again you will regret it."
The thought of Remus making him regret something was more frightening then Sirius wanted to contemplate. He thanked whatever gods had decided that Remus needed to stay with him and left it at that. Sirius moved to take Remus into his arms and winced when Remus wouldn't relax, but he did accept the hug, which was a start. It would take time, but Sirius was determined to get things back to normal.
/page break/
Six weeks had passed before the two realized it and their lives were getting back on track. Sirius was now addicted to morning cartoons, Alvin and the Chipmunks in particular, instead of booze. Remus was once again sleeping in their bed and for that Sirius was thankful. It had gotten very lonely without the other male.
"Siri?"
"In here, Remmie." Sirius called from where he was slouched on the sofa.
"Watching Alvin again, are you?" asked Remus as he walked into the room.
"You bet. What's up?" Sirius replied, pulling Remus into his lap.
"This came for you." Remus mumbled, handing Sirius the cream colored envelope. Sirius took it and slid open the letter. A short note fell out but Sirius recognized that calligraphy anywhere. It had been on his Christmas presents for as long as he could remember.
"Oh."
"What's the matter?"
"It's from Aurelieus."
"Oh, dear."
"Yeah."
"What's it say?"
"Nosy much?" Sirius squirmed as Remus poked him in the side, "He wants to meet with me."
"Oh. Um, is that a bad thing?"
"I don't really know. What would I even say?"
"That you're sorry for his loss?"
Sirius gave Remus a very bland look. That was not helpful.
"Just go, Sirius. It won't hurt you or Aurelieus." Sirius knew that Remus was right; he always was.
/page break/
Sirius sat in the corner booth, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Judging by the looks he was receiving, Sirius was pretty sure he was not doing a very good job.
He watched as a hooded man came into the pub and spoke to the bartender for a moment. A few head movements later and the man moved toward the stairs. The bartender came to Sirius's table, placed a slip of paper on the surface, and walked away.
Sirius walked into the private tearoom and had to gape in surprise. He remembered Aurelieus quite well from his childhood and could not relate the funny, happy-go-lucky man to the sad, desolate being before him. Aurelieus was wearing the deepest of black with a brocaded gold lining; the traditional mourning robes for a widow or widower. The once proud man was despondent and depressed to the point of illness. A person could tell that he had not slept or eaten properly in weeks.
"Leo…" Sirius whispered. Aurelieus shot up from his chair at the nickname and Sirius could see he had been crying.
"Siri…how…how are you?" Sirius watched as the broken hearted man fell to pieces at that one sentence.
"I'm dealing. You obviously aren't." Aurelieus shook his head in typical pureblooded denial and tried to refuse Sirius's statement. Sirius gave a sigh and stalked forward. The older man took a step backwards, breaking Sirius's own heart, but allowed Sirius to drag him into a hug. The sad and stuttering man sank into his arms once he realized that he wasn't being turned away and Sirius knew that he wasn't going to lose his adopted uncle, even if it killed him.
/page break/
Sirius lay awake staring morosely at the ceiling. It had been several months since Alphard had died but he still wasn't used to the feeling of emptiness. The fortune that the man had acquired was given to Sirius, although he had discreetly transferred a large portion of it to Aurelieus's account. It was just so surreal. It was almost as though it had never happened.
"Sirius. Stop this. Making yourself miserable isn't going to help or bring Alphard back." Remus burrowed his face into Sirius's chest, wrapping himself around the depressed Animagus. Sirius sighed and ran his hand through the silky bronze locks.
"It hurts."
"I know love, I know."